Ice-motor



Patented June 6, I899. F. S. FARR &.' G. F. NYBERG.

ICE MOTOR.

(Application filed Sept130, 189B.)

3 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

ll'zvzesses.

Patented June'6, I899. F. S. FARR &'. C. F. NYBEBG.

iCE'. MOTOR.

(Application filed Sept. 80, 1898.)

3 Sheats$heet 2.

(No Model.)

152/52270219. flee/72a .5: 2 1/: lAar/eg )2 m: uoams mans cm movo uwouWASHINGTON. n. c,

Nu. 626,322. Patented June 6, I899. F. S. FARR &. C. F. NYBERG.

ICE MOTOR.

(Application filed Sept. 30, 1898.)

We Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

LITNQ, WASHINGTON, n c,

men STATES FFICE.

ATENT FREEMON S. FARR AND CHARLES F. NYBERG, OF MINNEAPOLIS,- MINNESOTA.

ICE-MOTOR.

S PECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 626,322, dated June 6,1899.

Application filed geptember 30, 1898- b'el'ifbl o. 692,292. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FREEMON S. FARR and CHARLES F. NYBERG, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepinand State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Ice-Motors; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our present invention relates to ice or snow motors, and has for itsprimary object to provide an efficient motor of this characterespecially adapted for use in pineries or other logging districts forhauling heavy loads or trains of logs. As is well known, in such placesthe cut logs are hauled on heavy sleds and deposited on the frozen riveror at other distant points for transportation in the spring by therunning stream or other means. The heavy logging-sleds are runovcrartificial and icy road-beds, usually constructed with wellglazedchannels, which permit the sleds to be drawn with much greater ease andsafety than would be possible over an ordinary road bed of snow. Itrequires considerable care and labor to keep these artificial road-bedsin proper condition. Various traction-motors have been constructed foruse on these roadbeds, butin every case known to us they have been foundeither inefficient to perform the work or so destructive to the road-bedas to render their use impracticable and unprofitable. In fact, prior toour invention draftanimals have been found to be the only practicablemeans of hauling these heavy sleds and their loads over such road-beds.

Our invention provides a power device in the nature of an ice-motorwhich is practicable for the purposes above noted and which, whilereasonably simple in construction, has all that could be required by wayof efficient traction and does not cut or distort the roadbed to anyconsiderable extent.

The preferred form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughou theseveral views.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively views in side elevation and plan of theso-called icemotor. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximatelyon the line 833 x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectiontaken on the line 00 00 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is atransverse verticalsection taken on the line 00 0c of Fig. 4. Fig. (iis aside elevationwith some parts broken away and others shown in section of a portion ofone of the traction-wheels. Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views of one of thesocalled calk-plates showing, respectively, the bottom and top of thesame.

In the illustration given, 1 indicates an approximately rectangularframe or body, the ends of which are shown as slightly segmental inform.

2 indicates the runners, and 3 the transverse beams, to which therunners 2 are secured in pairs to form sleds. There are two pairs ofthese sleds, one located at the front and the other at the-rear of theframe 1, with their transverse beams 3 bearing one under each segmentalend portion of said frame. The frame 1 has also a pair of transverseintermediate beams 4, to which the sleds are pivotally connected bymeans of cooperating brackets 5, rigidly secured to the respective beams3 and pivotally attached to said beams 4 by king-bolts 6.

Working in front or outward of each end of the frame 1 is a pair ofcomplex tractionwheels, each of which in the preferred constructionconsists of the following details, connected and mounted in thefollowing manner: Ct indicates a sprocket-wheel having a very heavy huband flange, and a indicates a pair of heavy annular flanges or rims,which are secured together and to the rim of the sprocket-wheel a bynutted bolts (0 These flanges or rims a are provided with a plural ityof evenly-spaced peripheral lugs a to each of which a calk-plate ispivotally secured. These so-called calk plates (indicated at b and bestshown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8) are provided with calks b, and in theconstruction illustrated they are secured by rivets b to blocks b thatare directly pivoted to the cooperating lugs a by pins The dispositionof the calks b is best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, by reference towhich it will be seen that the calk-plates Z) are provided at their endswhich project in one common direction with laterally-spaced pairs ofsaid calks and are provided at their ends that project in the othercommon direction with single centrally-located calks that are adapted towork between the laterally-spaced calks of the adjacent calk-plates. Itthus becomes evident that each calk plate when thrown into contact withthe runway or roadbed will have very much the action of a horseshoe, andit will be later more clearly indicated that these calk-plates arebrought into contact with and removed from contact with the road-bedfiatwise or by a movement parallel to the surface which they engage, sothat all three of the calks will be simultaneously embedded into theroad-bed and in a similar manner removed therefrom. This action is ofthe utmost importance, as it causes the minimum damage to the road-bedand does notcrack or tear the ice of the road-bed, as is the case withdevices wherein the calks are rocked or moved while embedded.

The fact that the calk-plates b have a pair of calks at one end spacedapart from each other, and have, at the other end, a singlecentrally-located calk, and that adjacent plates 1) are so disposed thatthe single central calk of any given plate works between the pairof.

calks on the next adjacent plate, is an important feature ofconstruction, for the reason that, in virtue of this feature, ballingfrom mud orsnowisprevented. Otherwisestated, in virtue of this feature,the plates are selfclearing. Without this feature the mud and snow wouldaccumulate under some conditions'between the plates and the wheel-rimand on the plates themselves to such an extent as to prevent thesuccessful operation of the traction device,

- To prevent the calk-plates from rattling while raised from theroad-bed, we employ spring" devices, which, as best shown in Fig. 6,consist of headed plungers c, thatwork in seats 0', formed in theflanges or rims a, and are spring-pressed outward by coiled springs 0The projecting ends of the stems or plungets 0 bear against thecooperating calkplates, as shown in said Fig. 6, and in the constructionillustrated they are removably secured in place by perforatedscrew-threaded plugs 0 The traction-wheels above described are i11-de'pendently mounted each by a pair of arms f, that are rigidly securedat their projecting ends to an axle or shaft f, passed through the hubof the coeperating sprocket a. The said arms f work through suitablepassages in the sled-beams 3and are pivoted at their inner ends on shortshafts f ,that are mounted in flanges f of the brackets 5, and in bearings f directly secured to said sled-beams 3.

In this manner the traction-wheels are so mounted that they are free fora' sufficient up-an'cr-down movement with respect to the sleds andframework of the device to permit them to pass over rough roads, but areheld for angular movement with the sleds, so as to from, is apower-driven shaft g, provided with a pair ofchain-sheaves 9 As shown,the shaft g is also provided with a spur-gear g3, which forms a part ofa suitable drivinggear from an engine or motor, (not shown,) but whichwould be mounted on andcarried by the frame 1. Mounted in suitablebearings g, which, as'shown, are formed on the brackets 5 at each end ofthe device, is a counter-shaft 9 which extends transversely of the sledwhich carries it at a point below the corresponding pivot-shaft f Eachof these counter-shafts g is provided with a chain-sheave ,7, over whichand the codperating chain-sheave g on the driving-shaft g adriving-chain runs.- Again, each counter-shaf t g is provided with apair of sprocketwheels g which stand in line, one with each of thesprocket-wheels a of the traction-wheels. Sprocket-chains g", which runover the coeperating sprocketwheels at and g transmit motion to the saidtraction-wheels. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the sled-beams 3 areprovided with passages 9 through which the chains 9 run.

When the sleds are given an angular movement with respect to the frame1, as is necessary when the device is run on a curve, it is of courseevident that the chain-sheaves will change their angular position withrespect to the chain-sheaves g and this would of the bracket 5, and thelower pairs of the same are mounted on horizontally-extended projectionsQ12 of said brackets 5.

The steering device consists of a transverse shaft 70, mounted insuitable bearings 7t on the frame 1, and two pairs of chains 7& that arewound on the projecting ends of said shaft k and are attached to theouter ends of the sledbeams 3, as shown at 70 The chains 75* on a givenside of the machine are so attached to the shaft 70 that one movement ofsaid shaft will simultaneously wind up both of said chains and the othermovement thereof will simultaneously unwind the same. Again, the saidchains are so connected to the shaft 70 that one movement of the saidshaft will simultaneously wind the two chains on one side of the machineand unwind the two chains on the other side of the machine, while thereverse movement of said shaft will do the same thing with the saidchains, but in reverse order. In this manner the two sleds are givensimultaneous and equal movemen ts in the steering action and all of thechains which move them are always kept taut. In the particularconstruction illustrated the shaft 7; is shown as provided with awormgear 7& with which a worm (not shown) would cooperate. This shaftmay be driven either by hand-operated devices or by intermediate powerdevices driven by the engine or motor which is to be carried by themachine, but preferably bythe latter-indicated arrange ment.

Between the adjacent pairs of complex traction-wheels we project fromthe cooperating sled-beams b pole-brackets p, that are rigidly .bracedand secured to said beams, and, as

shown, are provided at their outer ends with pin-seats p, to which, bymeans of a pin, (not shown,) the tongue or pole of the sled or bob to bedrawn may be detachably secured. The outer ends of these bracketsp areprojected approximately at such distances that when the trailer-sled orattached bob is connected, as just indicated, and the device is run on acurve the runners of the sleds of the entire train will be heldtangential to the arc traveled.

Operation: The motor bob or sled above described is adapted to be run ineither direction. For the purposes of illustration assume it to bedriven in the direction indicated by arrows marked on Fig. 1. Thendriven in this direction, it is obvious thatthe lower strands of theforward endless driving-chains and 9 will be drawn taut, while the upperstrands of the rearward members of said chains will be drawn taut. Nowit is obvious that inasmuch as the sprocket-wheels g are located belowthe pivot rods or shafts f and in virtue of the relation thereof to thesprocket-wheels a this driving strain from the chains 9* will drawdownward on the traction-wheels, as previously briefly indicated. Nowthe force with which the traction-.

wheels will be drawn downward into contact with the road-bed is notdirectly dependent either on the weight of the traction-wheelsthemselves or on the Weight of other parts of the motor, although, ofcourse, these devices to some extent aitect the actions of thetraction-wheels. \Vhen the traction-wheels are called upon to do butvery light work, the strains on their drivingchains will becorrespondingly light, and the downward pulls on the traction-wheels, inaddition to their own weight,will be proportionately reduced; but whenthe traction-wheels are called upon to do heavy work, either on accountof the ,heavy load to be drawn or the steepness of without directdependence upon the weight' of the load, but in proportionto the forcerequired to draw the said load.

The important actions of the pivoted socalled call plates have alreadybeen noted. By reference to Fig. 4, wherein the action is best shown, itwill be seen that the calk-plates are free for such pivotal movementsthat they will be brought into contact with the roadbed fiatwise andsimilarly removed from the same, so that all of the calks of a givenplate will be simultaneously caused to enter the road bed and besimultaneously removed therefrom. Furthermore, the calks are embeddedand removed by vertical movements and are not moved laterally orotherwise than vertically from the time that they commence to enter theroad-bed until they have been completely drawn therefrom. This, as isobvious, does the minimum amount of damage to the road-bed. Thetraction-wheels are 1ocated inward of the runners 2 of the motorbob, sothat they are adapted to run over the surfaces of the road-bedwhich areusually trodden by the horses or draft-animals when such animals areused. Hence the icy channels in which the runners of the bobs pass arenot nicked or roughened by the calks of the traction-wheels.

It is of course evident that the so-called complex traction-wheels mightinvolve a greater or less number of peripheral rows of calk-plates andthat a greater or less number than shown of the said traction-wheelsmight be employed.

\Ve wish it clearly understood that while the production of an efficientice or snowmotor has been the primary object of our invention we do notlimit ourselves to the use of the several novel devices and combinationsof devices for this specific purpose. WVe our selves well understandthat there are many other possible uses of these features and havecontemplated the construction of traction-em gines or motors havingwheels instead of sledscalk-plate, substantially as described.

2. A traction-Wheel, involving a chainf Wheel havinga peripheral flange,and a plurality of calk-plates pivotally secured to said peripheralflange and adapted for flatwise contact with the road-bed, substantiallyas described. v

The combination with a movable support, of a traction-wheel connected tosaid supportand provided with peripheral call:- plates adapted --forflat-wise contact with the road-bed, and driving connections for saidtraction-wheel acting on said Wheel to propel and draw downward on thesame, substantially' as and for the purposes set forth.

4. lhe combination with a movable support, involvingea-pair of pivotedsteering-sections, such as sleds, of .a steering device involving-awindlass-shaf t with flexible connections extending from both ends tothe correspondi-ng sides of both of said steering-sectio-ns, said partsoperaiing substantially as described.

5. The combination with a frame or support havingground-engaging-sections, at least one of which is pivoted, of atraction device connected for angular movement with said pivnection inthe vicinity of said axis, substantially as described.

6. The combination With a support or frame, having ground-sections, atleast one of which is pivoted, of a traction device connected forangular movement with said pivoted section and a driving-gear for saidtraction device involving a pair of chain-Wheels, one on said supportand the other on said pivoted ground:- section a chain or flexibledriving connection running over said chain-Wheels and across the pivotalaxis of said pivotal ground-section,

FREEMON s. FARR. CHARLES F. NYBERG.

\Vi-tnesses:

JAS. F. WILLIAMSON, F. D. MERCHANT.

